Kentile Floors Inc. — Asbestos-Containing Floor Tile Manufacturer

Kentile Floors Inc. was one of the most widely used floor tile manufacturers in the United States throughout the mid-twentieth century. For decades, Kentile vinyl asbestos tile and asphalt tile were installed in homes, schools, hospitals, offices, and industrial facilities from coast to coast. Because Kentile products contained asbestos through 1974 and were installed by flooring workers, construction tradespeople, and maintenance personnel across multiple generations of American building, the company became a significant defendant in asbestos personal injury litigation. Kentile filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1992, and an asbestos settlement trust was subsequently established to compensate workers and family members harmed by exposure to its products.

Company History

Kentile Floors Inc. was founded in 1898 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. The company grew into one of the dominant domestic producers of resilient floor tile, supplying both residential and commercial construction markets during the postwar building boom of the late 1940s through the 1960s. Kentile tiles were distributed nationally and appeared in virtually every segment of the built environment — from single-family homes and apartment buildings to factories, warehouses, government buildings, and public schools.

Like most resilient floor tile manufacturers operating during this era, Kentile incorporated asbestos fibers into its tile formulations. Asbestos was favored in floor tile production because it improved dimensional stability, enhanced resistance to heat and moisture, and allowed manufacturers to produce a durable, low-cost product at commercial scale. Chrysotile asbestos was the fiber type most commonly used in resilient floor tile manufacturing.

Kentile continued manufacturing asbestos-containing floor tile until 1974, when increasing regulatory scrutiny and emerging asbestos health science prompted the company and others in the industry to phase out asbestos use. However, tiles manufactured before 1974 remained installed in buildings for decades afterward, continuing to present exposure risks during renovation, demolition, and maintenance activities well into the 1980s and beyond.

The company operated for nearly two decades after discontinuing asbestos use before the accumulated weight of personal injury litigation forced it into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1992. The bankruptcy reorganization led to the creation of the Kentile Floors Inc. Asbestos Settlement Trust, which administers compensation claims for individuals who developed asbestos-related diseases as a result of exposure to Kentile products.

Asbestos-Containing Products

Kentile Vinyl Asbestos Tile

Kentile vinyl asbestos tile (VAT) was the company’s flagship product line and among the most extensively used resilient flooring materials in American construction during the postwar decades. Vinyl asbestos tile typically contained between 10 and 35 percent asbestos by weight, with chrysotile fibers bound within a vinyl resin matrix. These tiles were manufactured in standard 9-inch and 12-inch square formats and sold under the Kentile brand in a wide variety of colors and patterns.

Vinyl asbestos tile was installed in enormous quantities in residential construction — particularly in kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and utility rooms — as well as in commercial and institutional settings. The product was considered a premium offering compared to asphalt tile, marketed for its appearance, durability, and ease of maintenance.

Kentile Asphalt Tile

Kentile also produced asphalt tile, an earlier generation of resilient flooring that predated vinyl asbestos tile in the market. Asphalt tile contained asbestos fiber as a reinforcing agent within an asphalt and resin binder. Asphalt tile was less expensive than vinyl asbestos tile and was widely used in below-grade applications such as basement floors, as well as in industrial and commercial settings where cost was a primary consideration.

Both product lines were distributed through flooring supply houses, building material distributors, and directly to commercial contractors across the United States.

Occupational Exposure

Flooring Installers and Tile Mechanics

Workers who installed Kentile vinyl asbestos tile and asphalt tile faced the most direct and repeated exposure to asbestos fibers from these products. Installation activities that generated airborne asbestos dust included cutting tiles to fit using hand saws, power saws, or scoring tools; sanding or grinding tile edges; and sweeping up tile dust and debris. Workers who cut Kentile tiles in enclosed spaces — particularly in residential basements and commercial interiors with limited ventilation — may have experienced significant fiber releases during these tasks.

Maintenance and Custodial Workers

Building maintenance personnel and custodial workers in facilities where Kentile tile was installed faced chronic low-level exposure over the course of their careers. Routine floor maintenance activities, including stripping, sanding, and buffing older vinyl asbestos tile, could disturb the tile surface and release asbestos fibers. Workers who replaced damaged or broken tiles — a common maintenance task in schools, hospitals, and office buildings — were similarly exposed.

Renovation and Demolition Workers

Because Kentile vinyl asbestos tile and asphalt tile remained in service in millions of buildings long after the company discontinued asbestos use, renovation contractors, demolition workers, and abatement professionals encountered these products well into the 1980s and 1990s. Removing old floor tile — whether by hand, with pry tools, or using grinding or scarifying equipment — can release substantial quantities of asbestos fiber if the tile is not first identified and handled under appropriate abatement protocols.

Under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) and related EPA regulations, resilient floor tile installed before 1981 is classified as a suspect asbestos-containing material and must be assessed before any renovation or demolition activity that would disturb it.

Secondary Household Exposure

Family members of workers who installed or worked around Kentile tile may have experienced secondary asbestos exposure through contaminated work clothing brought into the home. This pathway — sometimes called take-home or para-occupational exposure — has been associated with asbestos-related disease in the spouses and children of heavily exposed workers.

Bankruptcy and Trust Establishment

Kentile Floors Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1992, citing the mounting costs of asbestos personal injury litigation. As part of the bankruptcy reorganization process, the Kentile Floors Inc. Asbestos Settlement Trust was established to serve as the sole source of compensation for individuals with qualifying asbestos-related disease claims arising from exposure to Kentile products.

The establishment of this trust is a formal acknowledgment that Kentile Floors Inc. bore legal responsibility for asbestos-related harm caused by its products. The trust holds dedicated assets set aside specifically to pay valid claims and is administered according to Trust Distribution Procedures (TDP) that govern eligibility criteria, claim values, and the documentation required to support a claim.

Who May Be Eligible to File a Claim

Individuals who may be eligible to file a claim with the Kentile Floors Inc. Asbestos Settlement Trust include:

  • Flooring installers and tile mechanics who cut, handled, or installed Kentile vinyl asbestos tile or asphalt tile
  • Maintenance and custodial workers who worked in buildings containing Kentile tile and performed tasks that disturbed tile surfaces
  • Construction and renovation workers who removed or worked near Kentile tile during remodeling or demolition projects
  • Family members of heavily exposed workers who may have experienced secondary exposure through contaminated clothing
  • The estates of deceased workers who developed asbestos-related disease before their death

Qualifying disease categories under most asbestos trust distribution procedures include mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other asbestos-related conditions. Mesothelioma claims typically receive expedited review and the highest compensation values.

How to File a Claim

Claims against the Kentile Floors Inc. Asbestos Settlement Trust are filed through the trust’s claims administrator. The process generally requires:

  1. Medical documentation establishing a qualifying diagnosis, including pathology reports, radiology studies, and physician statements
  2. Exposure evidence demonstrating contact with Kentile products, which may include employment records, union records, co-worker affidavits, jobsite records, or other documentation placing the claimant at locations where Kentile tile was installed or disturbed
  3. A completed claim form submitted through the trust’s designated filing process

Many claimants pursue trust fund claims through an attorney experienced in asbestos litigation. An attorney can help gather the necessary exposure documentation, identify all applicable trusts (there may be multiple trusts relevant to a single claimant’s exposure history), and navigate the claims submission process.

Summary

Kentile Floors Inc. manufactured asbestos-containing vinyl asbestos tile and asphalt tile from its founding in 1898 through 1974. Its products were installed throughout the United States in homes, schools, hospitals, and commercial buildings, exposing flooring installers, maintenance workers, and renovation tradespeople to asbestos over multiple decades. After filing for bankruptcy in 1992, Kentile established the Kentile Floors Inc. Asbestos Settlement Trust to compensate individuals who developed asbestos-related diseases as a result of exposure to its floor tile products. Workers and family members with a qualifying diagnosis — including mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis — may be eligible to file a claim with this trust. Consulting an attorney with asbestos trust fund experience is the recommended first step for anyone seeking to pursue a claim.